2 John 1:12
Final Greetings
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
Tag: The Power of a Personal Conversation in the Midst of Conflict
In 2 John we have a little letter written by the Apostle John to a church that probably meet in someone’s home. John wants to correct a problem in the church: False teachers were traveling from church to church and spreading anti-Christ messages. Churches were “hosting” or being “hospitable” to these false prophets and John wanted that practice stopped. John wanted them to know that anyone who denies the person and work of Christ was an anti-Christ and should not be listened to. John called them a “deceiver.” To end the book, John tells them that he could write a lot more about this topic and give them more instruction, but, instead, he ends the book by saying he wants to meet with them “face-to-face.” This Greek phrase is equivalent to our English, “eye-ball-to-eye-ball.” John is telling them that he wants to talk to them personally because a personal conversation over these things is much more powerful and will bring “joy” complete. It is important to see here that John and the church are in the middle of a conflict. Conflict is not normally discussed in the context of “joy.” But, John recognizes that he HAS (and WILL, yet fuller) imparted to them truth. In the first four verses of the book he writes about the power of “truth” using the Greek word, “aletheia” five times. The word is used 98 times in the NT and typically is referring to the Gospel message. John is saying to them that this “conflict” is okay to discuss and eye-to-eye is even better; as their mutual joy will be derived. There is ALWAYS joy when truth is discussed and searched for, in regard to conflict. John wants to teach them about these false teachers and wants them to learn how to interact (or, not interact) with them. He realizes that writing a letter to them (our modern day “email” approach) is not conducive to the subject. Some things should be done in face to face meetings. When we pursue “truth” with others, it produces “joy” in our lives. John wanted a personal conversation to do that because he saw that this would be beneficial to them both and joy would be “complete.” This should be the goal of every conversation we have, but especially in the midst of a possible conflict.
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